1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to animal traps and, more specifically, is concerned with a humane animal trap which is effective on small animals without physical injury to the animals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art discloses many types of animal traps which employ a snare or similar type of structure which closes around an animal's leg upon activation. For example, Steiner has invented humane traps such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,835,576 and 3,962,814 wherein a pair of rings pivotally secured together at one side thereof in juxtaposition with one another close upon an animal's leg when activated. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,402,959; 3,967,408 and 936,808 are examples of other types of snare structures in which a loop is drawn within a structure, forcing the loop to close upon an animal located within the loop.
Other types of traps such as disclosed by Petty in U.S. Pat. No. 2,396,472 employs a fixed, rigid loop in spring-biased relationship to an opening, the loop closing upon triggering and trapping the animal within the rigid loop and opening.
Manually actuated traps are also known in the prior art as disclosed, for example, by Rosser in U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,769 wherein telescoping members close a loop upon manual actuation.
The above structures are limited in that they fail to be humane or fail to be useful upon small animals. Most traps which are effective on small animals tend to break the animal's leg or skin upon actuation, thereby being inhumane. On the other hand, traps which are designed not to physically injure the trapped animal are usually ineffective against small, quick animals, such as foxes, rabbits and squirrels.